Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:

Oxnard Police Department and the Ventura County AVOID the 14 DUI Task Force Targets

Impaired Drivers with Multiple DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints in Oxnard

Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over

 
Oxnard, CA – The Winter Holiday Anti-DUI crackdown has resulted in a significant number of DUI arrests from local routine traffic enforcement and special Avoid the 14 DUI deployments overnight in Ventura County
 
From 12:01 AM Friday December 14, 2012, through Midnight Thursday, December 27, 2012, officers representing Ventura County law enforcement agencies have arrested 106 individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 
 
Heading into the 4 Day New Years holiday weekend, the Oxnard Police Department Traffic Unit and the Ventura County AVOID the 14 DUI Task Force will be conducting DUI/Drivers License checkpoints on Friday, December 28th, at undisclosed locations within the city limits between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence and provide the greatest safety for officers and the public. 
 
Officers will be contacting drivers passing through the checkpoints looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment. Drivers caught driving impaired can expect jail, license suspension, and insurance increases, as well as fines, fees, DUI classes, court probation and other expenses that can exceed $10,000.
 
All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. “Over the course of the past year, DUI collisions have not claimed any lives, but have resulted in 199 wrecks injuring 115 of our friends and neighbors in Oxnard,” said Senior Officer Brown.
 
These DUI/Drivers License checkpoints are an effort to reduce those tragedies and officers will be checking drivers for proper licensing.   A major component of these checkpoints is the deterrent effect it has on those who might drive drunk or drugged impaired and bring about more awareness, encouraging everyone to use sober designated drivers. 
 
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.
 
Funding for these operations is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
 

Report Drunk Drivers. Call 911!

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:
On December 23^rd, 2012 at about 5:43 PM, Oxnard Police Officers responded to a 9-1-1 hang up call in the 3800 block of Samuel Drive, which is located in the Imperial Mobile Home Park. When Officers arrived they found the victim, a 27 year old Oxnard Resident, in front of the mobile home suffering from several stab wounds. The victim was transported to VCMC where he is listed in stable condition.

Officers on scene contacted the suspect as he attempted to leave the area in his vehicle. The suspect was identified as 25 year old Oxnard Resident, Lester Lefotu. Lefotu was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and booked at the Ventura County Jail.

It is still unclear why the stabbing occurred and it appears the victim and suspect are known to each other. 
 
If anyone has information about this incident, they are encouraged to call Detective Jaime Miranda at (805) 385-7665.  If you wish to remain anonymous you may call the violent crimes hotline at (805) 982-7070 or Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. You can also visit this site http://www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org/contactus.aspx to submit a tip via text or email.

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:

On December 22, 2012, at approximately 1611 hours, Oxnard Police officers were dispatched to the 500 Block of W. Channel Islands Blvd reference two shots heard in the alley. Subjects were also heard arguing.
 
Upon arrival, officers located a male victim with stabs wounds to his upper torso. He was transported to VCMC and was taken immediately into surgery. He was listed in critical but stable condition.
 
Two additional victims involved in the incident were contacted and stated they were assaulted by several male subjects who appeared to be in their 20’s. These subjects were not seriously injured.
 
If anyone has information about this incident, they are encouraged to call Detective John Sunia at (805) 486-7386. If you wish to remain anonymous you may call the Violent Crimes Hotline at (805) 982-7070 or Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. You can also visit this site http://www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org/contactus.aspx to submit a tip via text or e-mail.
 
DATE / TIME PREPARED:  12/22/12, 2115 Hours
 

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:
On 12-20-12, at 2035 hours, a female shopper walked to her car parked in front of Marshall’s located in the 1800 Block of Ventura Boulevard. As she entered her car, a Hispanic male, 20 to 30 years, medium build and dark complexion grabbed her holding a knife to her. The male entered the vehicle with the victim and climbed over her and into the back seat. There he held a knife to her throat.
 
The female victim began honking her horn in an effort to gain the attention of persons in the parking lot. The suspect let go of the victim and fled on foot.
 
Oxnard police officers responded to the area and with the assistance of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office helicopter and its crew, conducted a search of the area. The suspect was not located.
 
The victim was not harmed.
 
Persons with additional information are encouraged to contact Detective Jaime Miranda at (805) 385-7665 or remain anonymous calling the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS or http://www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org/contactus.aspx.
 
Date/Time Prepared: 12-21-12, 0014 hours

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:On December 20, 2012, at about 12:41 p.m., Oxnard PD officers responded to the area of Beaumont Avenue and Langley Street after receiving a call of an injury collision. Upon arrival, officers and EMS personnel found that a gold Ford pick-up truck, driven by Donald G. Dent, had collided into a silver Dodge Caravan that was parked near the intersection.

 
Preliminary investigation indicates that the Ford was traveling northbound on Beaumont Avenue towards Langley Street. The Dodge was parked southbound along the west curb of Beaumont Avenue. For unknown reasons, the Ford veered towards the right and collided into the parked vehicle.
 
Mr. Dent was transported to St. John’s Hospital where he was subsequently was pronounced dead. It is suspected that Mr. Dent suffered a heart attack just before the collision.
 
If anyone has information about this collision, please contact Senior Officer Maria Peña at
805-385-7750. The investigation is ongoing.
 
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Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:On December 16, 2012 at about 2:22 A.M., officers responded to a traffic collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian at the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Wooley Road. Upon arrival, officers found that a male (name withheld), 25 years old of Port Hueneme had been struck by a pickup driven by Adam Spires, 34 years old of Port Hueneme. The pedestrian sustained fatal injuries as a result of being struck and was pronounced dead at the scene.  

 
Preliminary investigation indicates that the pedestrian may have been crossing westbound against a red signal when the vehicle driven by Spires, who was southbound on Harbor Boulevard, struck him.
 
It is unknown if alcohol was a factor in this collision.
 
If anyone has information about this collision, please contact Officer Scott Aaron at
805-385-7600. The investigation is ongoing.
 

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES GRANT FOR

SPECIAL TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT AND CRASH PREVENTION
 
The Oxnard Police Department has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a year-long program aimed at preventing deaths and injuries on our roadways through special enforcement and public awareness efforts.  The grant received by the Oxnard Police Department will aid in the city’s ongoing effort to improve traffic safety and the quality of life.  The Oxnard Police Department will use the funding as part of an on-going commitment to keep our roadways safe through both enforcement and education.
 
“Assuring the safe travels of our citizens is one of the main focus areas of our department,” said Commander Andrew Salinas.  “Our officers are dedicated to making our roadways safer through enhanced driver education and enforcement efforts.”
 
The grant will assist in efforts to deal with traffic safety problems and to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in traffic collisions.  While traffic deaths from all causes declined by nearly 39 percent between 2006 and 2010 in California, state and federal officials anticipate that figures will show a slight rise in 2011.  DUI deaths remain the largest sector, at nearly 30 percent of traffic fatalities.  Recent trends show increases in two new categories – distracted driving and drug-impaired driving.
 
Activities that the grant will fund include:
·         Specialized DUI and drugged driving training such as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE).
·         DUI Saturation Patrols
·         Motorcycle safety enforcement
·         Distracted driving enforcement
·         Seat belt and child safety seat enforcement
·         Speed, red light and stop sign enforcement
·         Warrant service operations targeting multiple DUI offenders
·         Compilation of DUI “Hot Sheets,” identifying worst-of-the-worst DUI offenders
·         Court “sting” operations to cite individuals driving from court after having their driver’s license suspended or revoked for drunk driving
·         Stakeout operations to observe the “worst of the worst” repeat DUI offender probationers with suspended or revoked driver licenses
 
“Despite the recent increases, California’s roadways are still very much safer than they were before 2006,” said OTS Director Christopher J. Murphy.  “The Oxnard Police Department will be keeping the pressure on through enforcement and public awareness so that we can continue saving lives and reach the vision we all share – Toward zero deaths, every 1 counts.”
 
Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:DUI Arrests Up & Zero DUI Fatalities 

The Winter Holiday Anti-DUI crackdown has resulted in several DUI arrests from local routine traffic enforcement and special Avoid the 14 DUI deployments in Ventura County.
 From 12:01 AM Friday December 14, 2012 through Midnight Sunday December 16, 2012 officers representing 14 county law enforcement agencies have arrested 39 individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  In 2011, 33 DUI arrests occurred during the same three (3) day time period.
 
There were no DUI deaths reported over the first weekend, but there were two fatal collisions in the city of Oxnard. Both collisions occurred on Sunday, December 16^th; one at 1:00 a.m. and the other just after 2:00 a.m. Neither involved drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
            (**NOTE: These numbers are only provisional with some agencies yet to report**)
 
Over the course of the next several days of the campaign, a court sting operation will be conducted along with a warrant/probation sweep. Extra DUI patrols are planned for next weekend in the cities of Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, and C.S.U.C.I.  DUI Checkpoints are also planned in the City of Ventura, Ojai and the CHP will host one in Oxnard.
 
All regularly scheduled traffic and patrol officers will focus efforts at stopping and arresting DUI drivers during their normal shifts.  Multiple DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints, Multi Agency DUI Task Force operations and local Roving DUI patrols are all part of this region-wide crackdown during the 19 day Winter Holiday Campaign.
 
Police, Sheriff and the CHP encourage all motorists to help make your community safer: Report Drunk Drivers – Call 911!  Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. DUI arrest data collection will continue through New Year’s Weekend, midnight Sunday, January 1, 2013.

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:

 
                                                                                                                       
PRESS RELEASE
 
For Immediate Release                                                                     December 12, 2012
 
Contact: Officer Sergeant Randy Latimer     (805) 385-7847, randy.latimer@oxnardpd.org 
 
Avoid the 14 Ventura County DUI Task Force Plans Holiday Crackdown
To Stop Impaired Driving and Save Lives  
 
Oxnard, CA– Heads up to holiday party-goers!  To help save lives this holiday season, law enforcement from 14 agencies are launching a special “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” crackdown to stop impaired drivers and to save lives on our roadways.
 
The Ventura County DUI Avoid the 14 Task Force is announcing that officers and deputieswill be aggressively looking forimpaired drivers and will arrest anyone caught driving under the influence.  Enforcement efforts will include: 4 DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints, 15 local DUI saturation patrols, a Multi-Agency DUI Taskforce strike team patrol, and a DUI Warrant/Probation sweep.  The CHP will deploy all available officers during two Maximum Enforcement Periods – Christmas and New Years Weekends. The special enforcement crackdown will run from December 14, 2012, through January 1, 2013. (See attached Enforcement Schedule of Operations)
 
“Lots of folks will be out during this busy holiday season, enjoying themselves and the holiday festivities, and we want everyone to be safe on our roadways.” said Avoid the 14 Task force Coordinator, Sergeant Randy Latimer of the Oxnard Police Department.  “That’s why we will be stepping up enforcement to catch and arrest impaired drivers.  Please be forewarned.  If you are caught driving impaired, you will be arrested. No warnings. No excuses.”
 
During 2010, more than 10,000 people were killed nationwide in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving an impaired driver and in Californian 791 people died on our state’s streets and highways. There were 14 individuals killed in Ventura County that year.
 
The holiday season is a particularly dangerous time. During December 2010, 30 percent of all fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crash involved alcohol-impaired drivers. Data also shows that among those alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities, 71 percent occurred when drivers had nearly twice the legal limit blood alcohol concentration of .15 % BAC or higher. 
 
“No one ever thinks that their holiday celebration will end in jail, or worse, in a hospital or the morgue,” said Sergeant Rick Harwood, Thousand Oaks Police Traffic Sergeant.  “But for those who include alcohol in their celebrations and then get behind the wheel, this is too often the case.”   
 
Heads Up –violators face jail time, loss of driver license, and steep financial consequences such as higher insurance rates, attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of job.
 
The Avoid the 14 Coalition said there are three simple steps people can take to stay safe and out of trouble:
1.      Plan ahead.  If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Designate a sober driver or find another safe way home. Even one too many drinks increases the risk of a crash while driving a motor vehicle.  
2.      If you are impaired, find another way home.  Use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, use public transportation. Be responsible.  If someone you know is drinking, do not let them get behind the wheel.  If you see an impaired driver on the road, Report Them – Call 911!  Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life. 
 
“We want everyone to enjoy their holidays, but we also want our roadways to be safe,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “Police, Sheriffs and the CHP will be out in force to help save lives, and they are not going to tolerate impaired driving. So remember, ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.’ They will be watching.”
 
The nationalDriver Sober or Get Pulled Over crackdown is led by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and NHTSA, with the California Avoid DUI Task Force Campaign combining high-visibility enforcement and heightened public awareness through publicity. The program is funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety.
 
Media Notes:To schedule an interview regarding Anti Drunk-Driving efforts, or request a ride-along with law enforcement during the holiday period, please contact Sergeant Randy Latimer at 805-385-7847 or via email at randy.latimer@oxnardpd.org.
 

 
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Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:
(OXNARD, Calif) Twenty nine deserving and needy children (ages 6 to 12) – one from each of Oxnard’s 29 elementary schools – were invited to the 2^ndannual Heroes & Helpers event at Target at the Collection at RiverPark.  
 
The kids were treated to  breakfast goodies, juice and coffee donated by Panera Bread, a coloring station, face painting, the DRAGG car, balloons, a Christmas tree, and a visit and photos with Santa & Mrs. Claus.  The cop & kid teams then dispersed throughout the Target store to spend their $165 gift card any way they chose.  It was awesome to see how so many of the children shopped first for gifts for their siblings and parents before they even thought of selecting something for themselves.  It’s incredibly reassuring and heartwarming to witness children who live everyday with little still find it in themselves to act so selflessly and think first of others before they think to indulge themselves. 
 
Before leaving, the little shoppers had their gifts wrapped by the Crime Analysis Unit and the Explorers and they received a goody bag from First California Bank and framed Santa photos as they departed the store. 
 
Heroes & Helpers was originally made possible by a $1,500 grant from Target with a matching $1,000 contribution toward the event by the Oxnard Police Officer’s Association.  The Collection at RiverPark donated $1,500 and First California Bank donated an additional $750. Target Executive Team Leader Chris Edwards said, “Today was an outstanding example of how law enforcement, Target and other local businesses can come together to impact those in need within our community in a very positive way.”  
 

View our photo album on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OxnardPD
 
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DATE / TIME PREPARED:  December 11, 2012, 5:00 p.m.